Friday, October 7, 2011

Karma Yacht Sales Awarded 2011 President's Award & Dealer of the Year

Service Dealers of the Year and President's Award Winners: Lou Sandoval, Wayne Burdick (President Beneteau USA),

Jack Buoscio, Mike Lechelop (VP Sales, Beneteau USA)

October 5, 2011

Annapolis, MD- Beneteau USA concluded a meeting today of their North American Dealer Network. A group consisting of over 40 dealerships spanning the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America convened at the Annapolis Marriott hotel prior to the start of the 42nd Annual United States Sailboat Show.

The meeting was a unique opportunity for Beneteau to convene it's dealer network to discuss the three new models that will be premiering at the show: Beneteau 41, Beneteau 45 and Sense 43. It was also an opportunity for Mr. Bruno Cathelinais (CEO of Groupe Beneteau) to recognize the accomplishments of the North American Dealer Network.

The prestigious Beneteau 'President's Award' , which goes to the top 10 dealers in the network based on their Sales Accomplishment was awarded, as well as the Beneteau 'Dealer of the Year Award' for Sales and Service, which is awarded to the #1 dealer in each of those respective categories for the 2010-2011 year.

Local Lake Michigan Dealer , Karma Yacht Sales (KYS) was the proud recipient of 'Service Dealer of the Year Award', having received a perfect NMMA Customer Service Initiative (CSI) score of 100%. KYS was also awarded the Beneteau 'President's Award' for their achievements in Sales. Having been perennial recipients of the President's Award for Sales and Service over the past decade, KYS is no stranger to the recognition and results that come from focusing on their clients. The 'Dealer of the Year Award' did come as a surprise to the founders of the company, Jack Buoscio and Lou Sandoval, as it is the first time a winner has received a perfect score.

"This award is a testament to our hardworking service employees" said Jack Buoscio, "They show up every day ready to live our mission. While some days are more challenging than others, we make sure the end result of each commissioning is a happy client on a boat that will perform well".

Beneteau is the top brand on Lake Michigan, in spite of the recent economic challenges that have affected the marine industry. Preserving a collective five year market share of 34% of all new boat sales has not been easy for the Chicago-based dealer. "The industry as a whole has been through a lot" said Lou Sandoval, "Beneteau has taken a strong leadership position through their consistent innovation (fresh designs, un-paralleled features), quality and commitment to value. I'm not saying it has been easy- but we've focused on staying close to the supporters that have helped us grow the Beneteau brand on Lake Michigan-our customers."

Karma Yacht Sales has just entered their 10th Year since purchasing Darfin Yachts, the stalwart predecessor who had been the Lake Michigan dealer since 1976. KYS specializes in Beneteau sailboats on Lake Michigan. Throughout the past ten years, they have taken the Beneteau name to another level, where it is now firmly entrenched amongst mainy sailing households. As founders of the wildly-popular racer/cruiser First 36.7 and First 40.7 fleets, KYS (and Darfin prior) has accounted for the sale of over 45 new and used First 36.7 and 40.7 boats into what are the largest (and most active) fleets for the two models in North America. "We've set the bar by which all other fledgling fleets seek to surpass" says Lou Sandoval.

The Beneteau cruising line, named Oceanis has also been very successful, such that a visit to any Lake Michigan harbor will guarantee seeing a strong percentage of boats with the unmistakeableBeneteau Seahorse logo. When asked what the secret to their success has been, Mr. Buoscio replied, "It's about serving our customers as best we can, and exceeding their expectations. We're proud of the large number of repeat customers that are now on their second or third boat with us, and it's largely because of the great service we provide. The name we chose back in 2001-KARMA- conveyed our philosophy about business: The belief that if you treat others as you would hope to be treated, success will follow".

For More Information Ask Karma Yacht Sales by email or call 1-877-KARMA-Y-S (527-6297)